Fur loss and Thinning

Question
i have a male rabbit that is about 2-3 years old.  he is a black and white lop.  i first noticed a small scab on his back and then fur started to grow back, but now his whole back is thinning so he appears to be gray rather than black because he has lost the top hairs, they are coarse, sort of lik ethey have been chewed.  he also has a very defined bald spot on his back acouple inches from the tail about the size and shape of half a lemon.  his stomach is losing hair also an dthe insides of his back legs...his genital area is clear, as well as his eyes and his nose...the fur on his head and front legs is fine and he acts normal.  the bald spots are not really scaly...is it posibble that he pulls and chews his hair or is it some medical problem like ring worm or mites?

Answer
Hello Martha

Because of the fact that you say the areas are 'scaly' in appearance I would tend to think of fur mites (walking dandruff) before anything else.  Generally we don't worry about fur loss in small areas until it spreads.  It sounds as though his is spreading.  There are hormonal imbalances that can cause fur loss as well.  Personally I would take him to a rabbit savvy vet and have a skin scraping done to rule out any mites or ringworm.  If that comes back negative he may have to have some blood tests.  He very well could be barbering which is basically excessive grooming but this would be nearly impossible on the back.

If you don't already have a vet you can try the HRS website.

www.rabbit.org

They have a list of qualified veterinarians.  Contrary to popular belief their are vets out there that will treat the basic of rabbit ailments.  I have found that the best way to find a vet is to start calling around.  If they tell you they don't treat rabbits ask them who the nearest vet that does is.  There are many young farm vets who have taken to treating exotic animals.  Due to the increase in exotic animal pets it seems that the younger generation has taken the specialty courses to treat them.  Just because they aren't endorsed by the HRS does not mean they aren't qualified.  Most 24 hour animal hospitals or vets that label themselves as 'pleasantville animal hospital' for example almost always treat exotic animals.  I certainly wouldn't take my beloved pet to a doctor who treats exotics casually but for minor ailments I wouldn't hesitate a bit.  They are cheaper and almost always easier to find than the vets who have been certified as exotic animal specialists.  Frankly anyone can treat fur mites.  If a simple skin scraping determines that it is fur mites they will give your bunny a very small injection and will want to see him back in approximately 10 days for a follow-up.  If it is a hormonal imbalance I would not trust just anyone to care for him.

Unfortunately without seeing your bunny I can't tell you exactly what is wrong.  The best thing you can do is have him examined by a vet and if it is something worse than fur mites or ringworm by all means seek out a specialist.

I am sorry you are having problems.  If you have any further questions please let me know.

Sincerely,

Pam